The Substitute Groom

Chicken Dreams

The red gown looks beautiful on me , beautiful enough to be unreal . Standing in a hall of mirrors , i
look at myself in a red gown which looks like as if I snatched it out of a Disney Princess Movie. A childhood dream come true. The air smells of lavender, my favourite fragrance. The mirrors suddenly vanish into thin air leaving me in emptiness, a spotlight falls on me , blinding me for a while. '' Who ? '' I call out , feeling human presence in the darkness in front of me. A slant ray of light falls on the person making it clear that its a well built man wearing a black tuxedo and the face hidden by the darkness. Music fills my ears as the person extends his hand asking for a dance. I fill his hand with mine and place a hand on his shoulder, he holds my waist gently, his face still in dark. I try to touch his face, his skin soft . My fingers travel to his lips, soft to touch , he bites my finger as i withdraw my hand with an ''Ouch '' . I hear him chuckle. We dance for a while , when i ask '' Who are you ? ''
'' Your dream . Or maybe your dream man '' I says . His voice, dense as the dark clouds in a stormy night .
'' I had a dream man ? '' I ask confused. '' Always. You had me hidden in a dark corner of  your heart, you blocked all ideas of me by crowding your mind with other ideas '' he said as he turned me in circles and held me with my back touching his front.
'' Really ? '' i ask. ''Totally '' he snickers.
'' So Mr.Dream Man , if you were so perfectlyblocked then how come you are here ? '' i question.
'' I travelled out of the dark corners into the light ,the day you got married '' he whispers in my ears.
'' What does my marriage have to do with all this ? '' '' Curiousity forced me out.. Now come on ask something else '' he says.
'' Ok then show me your face '' i demand.
'' Smart girl '' he chuckles and leaves me to stand at a distance.
'' What ? '' I ask. He steps in the light and reveals his face which is covered by a mask.
'' Take it off '' I order.
''Why don't you do it ? '' he smirks.
I extend my hand towards the mask and take it off. And he looks like .. A CHICKEN ? A man in a tuxedo with the head of a chicken stands in front of me.
''Mrs. Chicken says Right now Wake up wake up . Your caller seems angry just pick up pick up '' he sings in a female tone while doing chicken dance. Is this really happening ? The floor beneath my legs suddenly darkens and then vanishes , making me fall in a dark pit.
'' Ow '' I shriek as my body hits something hard. I open my eyes to see myself kissing the floor and the chicken song playing in the background. That's my ringtone. I crawl back to the bed to find Michelle drooling in her sleep and my phone singing the chicken song along with doing the vibration dance. Yeah, she drools in her sleep. Only in midsleep. A lot of time after going to the bed and a lot before getting out, cut the lot times and you get Michelle's drool time. I grab the phone just at the time it stops ringing. After all , its just a poor ringtone. How long could it ring ?
I unlock the phone . 2 missed calls ? Who is missing me now ? Whoever it is, just chickened my dream.
''Mrs chicken says Right .... '' the phone rings with
'Mom' flashing on the screen.
I answer the call, '' Hello ? Mom ? '' .
'' Do you see the time ? For God's sake get up. Have you planned to stay awake at night ? You even lack the.... ''
'' Mom . Mom. MoM. Mom. Moooom '' I cut her before she could finish, '' What happened ? And how do
you know i was sleeping ? '' . Cameras ? Nope , the phone would not have been working then. '' Your Mother-in-law just called , its already 10 o'cLock . She came to call you for dinner but you were just not answering the door, she didn't have your number so she asked me to call you. I must have called 20-30 times '' she blabbered.
'' Mom , i checked the phone. You just called twice ''. '' Yeah , but I gave long rings, those count too '' she made up.
'' Nice try '' I huff.
'' Oh forget calls, you woke up . Only that matters. Now freshen up and wear that classy salwar which i have packed in your luggage trolley. Its white in colour . '' she changes the topic.
'' I don't want to wear heavy clothes '' I wail.
'' Dare you Malvika , you wear your pyjamas. I am never ever talking to you again. They are way more bigger than your size, you look like an ant in
elephant's clothing. '' she says. I don't look like an ant in elephant's clothing. I don't look like an ant at all..I am the line between fat and thin..
''Mom, they are comfortable plus i am fat '' I say in my defense.
'' Comfortable my foot and you are not fat , you are just chubby. Actually indian fit '' she says. And from behavioural point of view, every
sentence that starts from actually , is a lie . My mom never agrees that i am fat, Indian mother you know. Plus if i am fat then she would come under elephant category, my diabetes came from hers.
'' Okay , i will wear a salwar '' i agree.

'' Thats like my lovely daughter. Now go and have dinner, mom loves you '' she says and hangs up, without even waiting for me to reply . Anything for being pampered by Mom. I tickle Michelle's feet and she wriggles on the bed. She has really sensitive feet, the unharmful way to wake her up.. Tickle her feet. She kicks my hand and sits on the bed while i shriek an ''Ouch''.
Unharmful for her, can't say the same for me. '' Good Morning '' she yawns.
'' Its still night '' i stretch my arms in the air.
'' Cool, what time is it ? ''

''10:21'' i reply, looking at the phone.
I hope they have food, because i am hungry.
'' Bathroom's mine '' she stands up. I nod as i have least interest in bathing at night. I have sinusitis too. Michelle goes inside the bathroom, i shift my trolley from the floor onto the bed. I take out a patiala salwar which i had purchased earlier from a flea market. Its cheaper, beautifuller, lighter and it makes me keep my word.
After all, I promised to wear a salwar. Never been particular.

Thanks for reading, please drop your comments. Sorry for late update, i was going to writers block phase